I’m having issues with rust bleeding though.
Traps have been degreased, power washed and hung outside for couple days with light rust. I did my 50/50 rustoleum/gas dip.
After a week of hanging outside on the shed I noticed rust is bleeding through the white paint. What step did I do wrong? Thanks

I use rustoleum mostly, but haven't had that issue. I mix with mineral spirits though. I don't let them get light rust before I dip either. I decrease, dry and dip.

That’s normal. Use them as is and redid them when the rust gets to a point you don’t like. Could be a year or three depending on how much you use them and what your water/soil conditions are.

Was the paint thoroughly mixed before using? It can be watery if the paint settles on the bottom of the can.



I use one of those mixers for My drill to get the layers mixed well for good coverage. I also use primer with paint thinner instead of paint.



I also try to dip my traps when temps are warm/hot.

I get rust through the primer even. Usually takes me a solid year of use.

About 8 years ago I dipped a couple dozen footholds,I dipped 3 times, a day apart when the temps were in the 70's never had an issue with them.

Same here. I’m just trying to figure out why he’s having rust problems after only a week. I can’t help but think that the problem is due to the paint settling in the can leaving the watery layer at the top to be used. When the watery layer was thinned even more, it just wasn’t enough to do what it was supposed to...?

Wonder if they still had grease or oil on them and if it just seeps through to the surface. I’ve never seen that happen that quickly.

I think his problem was he let them get a fresh coat of rust on them (like you would do to dye traps) and then dipped them. I have only used Rustoleum on either new traps or ones I cleaned the rust off of. Then I mixed Rustoleum and paint thinner and mixed thoroughly. Also I dipped them when it was warm out. It flakes off some, maybe I would be better to do them in primer first, but I just redip the next spring.

By the way, has anyone ever tried to dip traps that have been dyed? Curious if I could take some of my black dyed (boiled in alder bark, walnut hulls, or a few might have logwood dye) traps and dip them in white paint, wether they would turn out nice and white or not.

Don’t let them rust at all before dipping them in paint. No matter how good the paint is if it is covering up rust the rust will make its way thru plus cause even more unnoticed damage underneath.

I've never done it, but paint mixed 50/50 doesn't leave much solids left to give you much of a coat of paint. Mil thickness of the cured paint is going to be thin. Thin enough that air and moisture are getting though. So your rust is still developing under the wash coat of paint.

Whatever you do, keep the mixture thin. I thoroughly mix the primer with my drill to stir up that thick layer on the bottom of the can. Then I mix 1 part primer to 1 part thinner to get the desired amount, and then I add an additional part of thinner for good measure and again mix it well with my drill. 50/50 is even a little thicker than I like in my experience. I’d rather mix it too thin and have to dip it twice than to make it too thick the first time. One of the first times I dipped traps I had it a little on the thick side, and I’ll never do that again.


When I dip traps, new or used, I get them clean. I don’t intentionally let any rust develop, but I don’t worry if a very light layer forms. I Dip them, sling off any excess, and then I hang them to dry. I come back a few minutes later once the paint is just beginning to dry, and I slide the dogs and triggers over so that the primer/paint underneath them is able to air out and dry. I prefer doing this on a hot day, but sometimes we don’t have a choice when it comes to gear prep.

I prefer thicker than 50:50 but I taped the spot on jaw where dog sits and the end of the dog with painter's tape lasts lots longer this way.

Tape was applied so I didn't have to scrape jaw and dog. Going on 4 yrs ..only power wash at season's end, look pretty good yet, will prob touch up corners and spring eyes with rattle cans end of this season.

I ran 65% 35% and dipped 3 times once each day in above 70's temps.

bearcat2, I have been on here many times stating I stop any rust with the tannic acid found in walnut hulls, maple or oak bark, sumac berries, logwood etc. etc., dye, then neutralize the minute amount of acid remaining with a lime or baking soda bath,,,,, then rinse and dry and paint with your rustoleum or gasoline dips or what ever. Pm if you need more info but I started doing this 25 years ago and sold my wax bucket with 12 lbs of wax to 2 young guys who just had to wax their traps........................... the mike

My beaver traps are in the water about 5 months of the year, consistently. I use a thinner mix than 50/50. Maybe 60% mineral spirits and 40% rusty metal primer. I do t mess with dying or neutralizing or anything. Not saying anyone is wrong at all, just stating what works for me and that my traps are used heavily. When I lived in the southeast, a place with more acidic water, I had my traps in the water nearly all year long and this worked for me.

The only problem I had was when you tried to paint traps that still had wax on them. That doesn’t work.

Thanks, I was wondering whether the dye would bleed through the paint. Personally I like dyed and waxed traps, but I also like white traps for using in snow. And frankly if I'm trapping in dirt the trap is covered anyways, so a white trap isn't much of a detriment. So I was wondering if I could just dip my older dyed traps (wax removed, obviously) in paint and have them stay white.

I can't, shouldn't and won't argue, I was looking at it from painting experience not real world trapping experience. I've never paint dipped traps. So, I was only guessing at the cause of the OPs problems.

Are you dipping yours more than one coat?
I wonder too if maybe the primer is bonding better than plain paint on bare metal does?